


hex

by fireflavoredwhiskey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-12-11 00:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11703033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireflavoredwhiskey/pseuds/fireflavoredwhiskey
Summary: His world is a big, tangled mess of death, secrets and lies. Gunshots and wounds. Running and hiding.He's prepared to die in the end; he knows it's coming, but that doesn't mean he isn't good at what he's doing. He's one of the best, really, and everybody knows that. But suddenly, he finds a reason to live, in a form of a very salty guy with the golden eyes and locks; bored smirks and taunting remarks.... Only to find out that life can very easily take everything away from you, through it all, in just a blink of an eye.The Playlist™





	1. team alpha

**Author's Note:**

> this is the [Hex playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/ellesanmiguel/playlist/2vuSz31ijrGYuu4rbMYIuk) where i put all the songs i can't help but associate with this fic; go listen to these gems if u like. there's a lot of grunge and indie stuff in there, ukno the likes ;)

**THE WOMAN HAS**  a very pretty face.

Sharp eyes lined with mild kohl in a delicate flick; her cheekbones strong yet soft. There was something about her that would suck you in. Maybe it's the fishnet tights hugging her legs as it crossed above the stool she's sitting on, sipping some fruity cocktail the bartender gave her from the bar.

"Aye, sweetie, would you allow me to take you home for tonight?" An old man, probably around his fifties, slurred over the rim of his fourth glass for the night. "I mean, 'am not a regular here but damn, I guarantee that I can make both of us feel fuckin' good,"

She was blonde, the womanㅡtall, slender and beautifulㅡwith her curls falling just past her shoulders. She smiled at him, his words sinking.

"Considerate, huh," she said, still smiling, "but my apologies, sir, I'm kinda booked for tonight." Her pitch was velvety and a bit low, as if she was careful to speak with her beautiful voice.

The man raised his eyebrows, then he looked around the dingy bar, "Oh?" He said, smiling wickedly. "So you allow 'em to take you home. By how much, if you don't mind?"

Blondie smiled wider. "Ah, you can't afford me." She winked. "And it's a Friday night, I usually charge double my priceㅡ"

The old man stumbled from his seat, almost lunging towards the prostitute. A rough hand made its way on the woman's inner thigh; her fishnet stockings making it hard to feel real skin beneath. Nonetheless, the man salivated. "I'll pay," he gritted his teeth in front of the woman's face. "I'll fuckin pay, I have moneyㅡ"

The woman laughed, her voice tingling like bells. The man almost passed out. "Aw," she said. She spread her thighs wider, a delicate hand now squeezing the man's aged one. "You older men really tend to lie about your riches when you wanna get laid,"

A momentary flash of yellowing teeth showed the man's rage, but he quickly calmed down in his seat, squirming. "Look," he lowered his voice. "I may not look like it, but I'm not fucking lying. I'm loaded. I have diamonds in my house and I can fucking stuff your pussy with 'em until you sobㅡ"

The woman's eyes twinkled. Bingo. "Diamond? You got diamonds?"

The man has won, alright. He's pretty sure this lady's gonna ride him like a rodeo tonight. "I have fucking riches," he grinned. "I got a lotta bunch o'carats of 'em. You'll gag with diamonds tonight.. what're you called, anyway?"

The woman grabbed him almost immediately and she smiled, eyes dazzling with pretty lights. "Onyx," she breathed, "They call me Onyx," she paused, "Take me home now, majesty."

And under a minute, they're out of the bar.

The man was loaded, indeed. He lived in a penthouse and seriously, the look in the woman's eyes was unbelievable as she looked around the flat.

"I told you you'll swim in diamonds tonight," the man said, attacking the woman's neck almost immediately as they entered the door and oh, Lord. How fucking easy. His balls were definitely on the line here, alright, but it's just, he can't resist to brag. Besides, this blonde's pretty shallow. Beautiful, but pretty dumb, so it was a good pick.

It's his rest day, after all, and he's not exactly just bragging about his money. He's a pretty important man. That's why the big bosses can't let him starve. And right now, he's getting antsy, because the slut was just teasing in the taxi cab. He had made a move to kiss her, but she laughed, moving away and ghosting her lips on his ear.

"Getting ahead of yourself, huh," she breathed, a hand gently pushing the man's chest away. "So impatient, eh? Wait till we discuss my price,"

Bitch. The man gritted his teeth. Goddamn tease.

Now, all alone in the safety of his penthouse, and almost as hard as a diamond itself, the old man prowled towards the woman, smirking like a motherfucker.

She stood, unmoving. But her eyes were glinting, taking in the darkness around them. She smirked. "Grandpa, are you sure you live here?"

The man raised a brow. "Actually," he said, stepping closer. When he's just less than a meter away, his lips moved in. "I prefer _Daddㅡ_ "

Before his lips reached her skin though, she quickly moved away. The man frowned. "What the fuckㅡ"

There was the woman standing before him, and the next second, she shifted, moving in a graceful dance that sent the man sprawled on his back on his own carpet. "You shitㅡ!" He screamed.

The woman put a stilleto heel on his chest, bending closer. "Sorry, Grandpa?" She said, her voice now a bit different, lower. "But I don't think you can still gag me with diamonds tonight?"

The man winced, looking up at the woman. "What the fuck are youㅡ" He growled. God. He's in deep trouble. He's so damned.

"Told you," the woman said, now her voice definitely sounded different. Actually, it's really different. Lower, but still velvety. Definitely not a woman's. "I'm called Onyx," she drawled, pausing. "Though I'm afraid that's not actually what my name isㅡ"

 _This is crazy_ , the man thought. "I know you," he growled. "They've fuckin' warned me about you shitheads but don't think you can easily take me with this you bitchㅡ"

He's aged, yes. But he's still swift. Quickly, he rolled over and got up, almost wishing the womanㅡno, the man; he's positive now that that's a guy who's now smirking in a woman's face and a woman's clothesㅡwould stumble backwards with his move and agility, but as he expected, he didn't. Within seconds, they're face to face. He's hunched and on-edge. The old man gnashed his teeth and quickly, he reached his pistol inside his jacket pocket andㅡ

Click.

The cold surface of metal reached the back of his skull. And without turning, he knew it's a gun on his head. Slowly, he lifted both his hands up in the air, still glaring at the guy-prostitute named Onyx in front of him. Onyx rolled his eyes, lifting a hand to remove his blonde hairㅡa wigㅡ revealing black, cropped curls underneath.

The man growled. "You fucking slutㅡ"

The gun behind his head shifted, pressing closer. He winced.

"Who the fuck are you?" He spat. "Are you from the Empireㅡ!?" It was still dark in his penthouse, the only source of illumination were the downtown lights visible from the glass walls of his flat, overlooking the majority of Tokyo.

Onyx's eyes darted behind the man, silently communicating with that person who has this fucking gun pointed in his brains.

Onyx shrugged, looking passive. "That's your cue, then," he said. "Hex,"

 

✖

 

_"I'm telling you, just knock him out and let the iSquad have him,"_

"Haaah?" Kuroo said, almost smirking at the voice in his earpiece. "But where's the fun in that?"

Akaashi raised a brow, still in front of the man. He might have looked intimidating, but Kuroo can't really take him seriously whenever he's wearing a girl's skimpy clothing. Especially when he's wearing a girl's skimpy clothing. But hey, Akaashi could be hella scary.

"And besides," he continued in a low voice, "It's our op; so we're the ones who need to finish it," He pressed the barrel of the gun closer to old man's head, not really wanting to bust his brains right there. They needed him alive.

"F-finish it?" The man stuttered, hands still aloft. "Are you gonna kill me? You can't fucking kill me!"

Kuroo almost rolled his eyes. "I know. D told us not to kill you. But did you know I never followed the rules? I'm never the one to follow the rules,"

_"Hex. D told us to find, decode and copy the missing data. Nothing else. That's what you have to finish only. Stop playing around,"_

Akaashi snorted, having heard the same voice through his own earpiece. He settled on the couch, crossing his legs and looking bored. Kuroo's eyes wandered on the other guy's legs. Fishnets. How scandalous.

"You're crazy!" The man was unnerved. "They'll know I'm missing! You can't kill me!"

 _"Kuroo,"_ the voice in his earpiece sounded again. _"Tie him up already. I've already hacked the frequencies. Hurry up. You only have fifteen minutes."_

Kuroo smirked, delighted at how fast Kenma work. "Hm," he cocked his head sideways, "Man this night's tedious. Onyx's the only one who got some action,"

A snort came out of Akaashi again, who's now busy massaging his ankles. "Action?" He said. "You call seducing an old man some action?"

Kuroo shrugged, swiftly grabbing the man from behind and within seconds, he has him shackled and thrashing on the floor. He snatched the pistol from the man's jacket pockets and threw it at Akaashi. Kuroo grunted, then swung a leg up the man's face to keep him still. "Hey, pervert, stop fucking squirming. Did Onyx really turn you on? Man, Mad Owl's gonna be pissed, and he's not even hereㅡ"

_"Hex," the voice in Kuroo's ear pressed. "Stop rambling already. You have a job to do."_

Kuroo rolled his eyes. "I'm just realizing this fact, huh. But did you know the only time you get to talk this much is when you nag me?"

No response.

He smirked. "And you lot aren't so much fun. I'm just trying to do small talk with our little guest here." Then he kicked the said guest at his back, sending his face buried on the carpet. He looked at Akaashi. "Watch this one," and proceeded to tie the man's legs and whole body with ropes he got from his backpack. "Slit his neck if he tries to do anything weird,"

Akaashi waved a hand. "You don't have to tell me," and produced a knife from the sheath strapped on his legs, just under his skirt. He played with it, lounging on the couch, tossing it in the air while toeing the crumpled man on the floor.

Then Kuroo straightened up, satisfied with his knot-work, and went to do his job.

_"You have approximately ten minutes left till the security wall act up again,"_

"Ten? I thought you said you can give me fifteen?" Kuroo said, making his way around the suite.

_"I did, but you wasted your five chatting up and being friendly."_

He snickered, stealthily opening up drawers and cupboards, looking under the portraits hung on the wall. "Wouldn't hurt to save this tedious night with my wit and charm, eh, Kitten?"

The person's frown on the other side of the line was obvious in his monotonous voice. " _That's not even my codename,"_ he muttered.

Kuroo smiled lightly in the darkness around him, lifting up a landscape of Paris near one of the bedroom doors. It revealed a secured vault on the other side.

"Bingo," he grinned, now trying to open the combination with a stetoscope he produced from his dark backpack filled with his other shenanigans.

_"Have you found it?"_

"Hm, yeah. He's not so creative in hiding it. Still trying to open the vault, thoughㅡ" Click. "Ah, hang on. I think I got it."

Minutes passed.

_"You have six minutes left, Hex."_

Kuroo concentrated, and with the last click he heard, the vault opened. "Gotcha, baby." And he grabbed the file stick sitting inside.

_"Go. Password's X-M-P-R twelve-hundred. That should portal you to the database. Five minutes."_

"Chill, Kitten. Five minutes is enough,"

 Five minutes shouldn't be enough, but for Kuroo Tetsurou, it was. He was fast to crack in the system. It was as if his fingers have a life of their own as it moved across his laptop's keyboard, successfully decoding the file and ending their job. It was ten seconds until the security comes back when he pressed enter andㅡ

 _"Good job,"_ the voice he called Kitten said. _"Now get out of there with Akaashi already."_

Kuroo was moving without thinking, the routine quick and effortless; he closed his laptop and put it back in his backpack, securely finishing his paraphernalias inside. Then he pulled his black hood down his face, barely covering his eyes along with his multi-function glasses perched on his nose. "How's our Rene-shit doing?"

 _"I think he dozed off a bit. Not much of an exciting night as you said."_ A pause. _"And it's Renegade. You're gonna piss him off."_

Kuroo snorted, making his way to the living room as he glanced down his wristwatch. "Told you, we don't need some sniper tonight. Should've left little Renegade with you in the headquarters. Teach him quite a bit about stuff, eh, Hunter?"

Then a new voice interrupted. This one's much buoyant. Almost like a kid's.  _"Oh come on, Kuroo-san! This is a hundred times better than being stuck in the headquarters with Kenma-san!"_

"Now, now, _Renegade_ ㅡthere's nothing actually wrong with being left with _Hunter_ back in the headquarters. Besides, you'll gain much experience how to crack IT shit and stuff with him."

_"But Kurooㅡsorry, I mean HexㅡI'd prefer to be in the field. So this is probably okay with me! And I'm not dozing off!"_

Kuroo reached the living room where Akaashi was still there with the man.

"Yeah, but, where the fuck are you, huh? I told you to find a vantage point from somewhere,"

_"Oh I did find a good vantage point from somewhere. Though it's getting pretty boring now. Can we all go back already? I'm starving. Is Taco Bell even open this late at night...?"_

Kuroo smirked, putting the kid's voice aside. He squatted in front of the man on the floor. "Hey, grandpa." He grunted. "Tell me. We should really leave you here alone for the Interrogation Squad to deal with you. I mean, that's not our job anymore, you know. Too messy. Interrogations can get a little bloody,"

He heard Akaashi snorted, getting ready to leave as well. His blonde wig was back on his head, his dress skimpier as ever.

"But, you know what, D actually told me that we can hog a little more glory in hereㅡif we bring you back alive."

 _"D didn't say anything like that."_ Hunter.

The man has a gag in his mouth, probably stuffed by Akaashi himself and his eyes were watering as whimpers were heard from his mouth.

Kuroo raised his brows, looking at Akaashi. "Was the gag important?"

Akaashi stared. "He almost spat at my face. He's lucky I didn't chop his dick."

Kuroo threw a disgusting face at the man, who kept shaking his head. "Dude. I think I changed my mind. Better just leave you here with the iSquad?"

 _"That's what I'm saying."_ A sigh.

Kuroo shrugged, standing up. "Well then let's get outta here. Ah, man. I was hoping for a bit more action tonight, seriously."

Akaashi shook his head a little. "Mad Owl's probably getting antsy already."

Kuroo shrugged, making his way to exit the penthouse.

They made it look like they're one of the rich motherfuckers who owned the place. Kuroo, with Akaashi attached with him from the waist up looking like a five-star blonde prostitute again, were being ignored by other people wandering around the place. He put his hood down, exposing his shock of raven hair and the sharp angles on his face. He folded his glasses as wellㅡso as not to look more suspicious, always aim for your most normal look.

He put a hand around Akaashi as they rode the elevator down the ground floor, making it seem like they're just a couple, especially in front of the CCTV's.

"You did take care of the cameras around the man's suite, yeah?" Kuroo murmured, his words directed to Hunter. When he didn't get a reply, he pressed, "Kenma,"

_"Hang on, I'm already there."_

And he can hear the sound of deft fingers typing and magicking on a keyboard.

"Everything okay, honey?" Akaashi purred, feigning a sweet, velvety voice.

"Yeah." Kuroo murmured as a man in pajamas entered the lift in the fifth floor. "Hunter was finishing up at the bar," his fingers played with some strands of Akaashi's blonde hair. "His shift's ending."

Akaashi hummed, and they were silent again until they reached the ground floor.

As they exited the building, a yellow taxi cab stopped in front of them. Without ado, Akaashi hopped in the shotgun seat, and Kuroo squeezed his way at the back, where someone was already seated.

"Kuroo-san! Can we grab some McDonald's before we meet up D?" A familiar boyish face came to Kuroo's view, as he unceremoniously unzipped his tracksuit, revealing a plain white v-neck shirt beneath.

"Maybe," Kuroo grunted, nodding up front. "Better be fast, Bo, I don't wanna be late again. D fucking tortured me with paperwork reports for a week the last time we're late,"

Bokuto, their designated driver that night laughed raucously. "You just said earlier that you're never the one to follow the rules, bro." And Kuroo noticed he's already wearing Akaashi's blonde wig atop his head. "But dude. I love pissing D off, it's amusing; also, it's a boring night. And I have to endure as Keiji allure old men again!"

"Shut up," Akaashi muttered.

 _"Kuroo,"_ Kenma said through the earpiece while Bokuto and Akaashi conversed upfront.

"Yeah?"

_"Can you bring some food back here? I just realized I ran out,"_

Kuroo grinned. "Aye, aye, Kitten," he said.

 

✖

 

The five didn't look like the top team in Empire at all.

He can give D that fact. Kuroo knew it. One glance around his teammates around him and he already knew why D looked pissed.

If anything, they looked like a bunch of college kids who definitely didn't know what programs to major into. They were pretty young anyway, right at the college-age-mark, all in their early or mid-twenties. Kuroo's turning twenty-six this November.

Kenma was sitting beside him, playing again in his PSP. Whenever he's not working as Team Alpha's Hunterㅡthe central intelligence of the groupㅡhe's always seen playing video games. It's not unusual, given his "social anxiety," but secretly, Kuroo thinks his closest friend just needed to interact with people more often. Nonetheless, he wasn't complaining. Kenma was smart, probably the smartest one in their team, that's why he's the central intelligence, so Kuroo was pretty sure Kenma knew what he's doing.

Renegadeㅡor actually Haiba Levㅡwas lounging on the long table in the midst of the conference room (where meetings where always held before and after an operation), patting his full belly. He was the youngest one in the team, and also the newest, having just recruited as their sniper six months ago. The kid was half-Russian, half-Japanese, which Kuroo thought was cool, because he figured Russians were amazing. But Lev was a dork. Probably much dorkier than himself, and that just shattered his image about Russians being the best of all.

Akaashi was sitting across Kenma, now his face free of make-up and glitter and his hair also wig-free. But that didn't lessen his beauty, actually. The guy was _glorious_ ㅡface, lean body and all. He's the definition of grace, no kidding, and that just added up to his title in being the Master of Disguises among Team Alpha and Empire entirely. He cross-desses a lot of times in their past operations but his pretty face ain't his only strength. Akaashi was pretty good with knives.

And maybe that was all why Bokuto (also known as Mad Owl) who was animatedly chatting with Akaashi while sitting on the long table, was obviously head over heels for him. Well, it's not exactly uncommon, alright,  since Akaashi has a lotㅡ _a lot_ ㅡof admirers in and out of Empire but it was painfully obvious that Bokuto was the most persistent and very much likeable. Also, Bokuto wasn't really the type of guy to hide his ogling and feelings and shit. He's a pretty wild one, but actually the softest of them all. Bokuto's very skilled as well, given he's in Team Alpha. He's good with guns and knives but Mad Owl was the best in close combat, which were always handy in most operations, specially in raids and such.

Kuroo smirked to himself, glancing over D to see the woman's face worked up defeat.

"Okay, boys, listen up," D clapped loudly. "May I get your attention, please. Thank you."

Kuroo sank more in his chair. Tedious, tedious night. "If you're going to congratulate us, D, you can skip it," he grinned. "It's actually a boring night. Wanna spice it up for us?"

D wasn't fazed, of course. She's been dealing with Team Alpha since the beginning. And Kuroo, for that matter. She stared. "As much as I'd like to cut this meeting shortly, Kuroo, I'm afraid not, since we got another urgent op to discuss."

That stole all of their attention. Lev got up from his sprawl on the table; Kenma paused his game.

"Oh yeah?" Kuroo said, his interest piqued. "Another one? That's fast, huh."

D sighed. "I just received the memo from the higher up's. Apparently, all other ops connected to _this_ subject miserably failed, even those which were all running since a month ago." She gently threw a few folders on the table. Each of them curiously snagged a copy.

"Kirigawa Mino," Kenma quickly scanned the pages. "That's _that_ government official, right?"

"Correct," D said, flicking her long brown hair away from her face. "As I said, all op's involving Kirigawa were temporarily closed. Some actually failed."

"This is what the Beta Team were all about since last month," Akaashi murmured.

"Correct," D said again. "And the failure of the Beta team caught the FBI's attention. So now they were adamant with their requestsㅡto hire Team Alpha to conduct an op about this."

Kuroo stared down the pages in his hands. "What's exactly the goal?"

D smiled. "That's one thing. We didn't have any goal yet, but they just want us to investigate for now."

"Human trafficking," Bokuto said, frowning at the articles and records. "This bloke was suspected to be involved with this human trafficking for research lab rats in the West?" He looked up. "Is this fucking real?"

D shrugged. "As I said, all op's involving the said matter failed, that's why we don't have anything concrete right now. What the FBI requested exactly, and the chairman agreed, is for team Alpha to go undercover for a few weeks and see what's actually going on in the inside."

Lev cocked his head sideways. "Ah man, this sounds like something Akaashi-kun will starred at anyway! Can we get real all-out raids this time, D? I'm bored!"

"We don't know what we're gonna find inside, Lev. And besides, they might lead to an all-out raid in the end, so better keep your eyes open." D smiled.

"But wait," Bokuto said. "You said undercover. And, well, Keiji obviously isㅡ"

"Actually," D interrupted. "I have someone else in mind," and he looked at Kuroo.

Kuroo raised a brow. "Eh?"

The brunette shrugged. "I want to give Akaashi a break. He's been working undercover a lot these days and it's time for him to lie low. Protect his inner profile." She paused, looking directly at Kuroo. "And that leads us to you. You're the team leader. So, I'll be giving you this role."

Kuroo sighed dramatically. "Oh, well, what would you do without me?" And quickly, he stood up, grinning and stretching. "Okay, so, what am I going to infiltrate? Police station? Do I get to be a cop this time? Or heyㅡ"

D smirked again, now setting another folder on the table. "Here're the details, actually." Kuroo excitedly snatched it. _Maybe a prosecutor looks cool tooㅡ_

His face fell. "What the fuck?"

"That's going to be your curriculum vitae for The Crowsㅡa very small and insignificant online newspaper company." D said, smiling sweetly. "They're looking for a photographer these days. And your first task is to get hired. _Capiche?"_

There's a howl of laughter coming from Lev and Bokuto. "Police or prosecutor my ass, fuckerㅡ!" They guffawed.

"Eh," Kuroo stared at his own picture in his own resume. _Kuroo Takami_ , it said, feigning a name for him. And he looked back at D, who just shrugged mildly, eyes glinting.

"I hope you enjoy your stay at The Crows, Hex." D smiled. "Or, rather, Reporter Kuroo Takami,"

Kuroo blinked. Andㅡ  _"Ehhhhh?!????"_ He shouted miserably.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> team alpha;
> 
> kuroo (code name: hex)  
> kenma (code name: hunter)  
> akaashi (code name: onyx)  
> bokuto (code name: mad owl)  
> lev (code name: renegade)


	2. the crows

**TSUKISHIMA KEI WOKE** up with their cat, Donatello, sitting on his face.

Perfect. What a great morning.

"Gerroff," he grumbled, and the cat was quick to jump off. The furry demon was not even his, it was his brother’s; he wasn’t sure why it liked Tsukishima himself. He’s not even sure he liked himself that much.

It was six-thirty in the morning, and he has one missed call and two unopened voice messages in his phone.

The missed call was from Akiteru, his brother. The first voicemail was also from him, and the second one was from Yachi. He opened them while he's making some coffee in the kitchen.

_"Kei, you're probably still asleep, but I just wanna let you know I won't be coming home for a few days for work. Something came up, and, uh, it might take a week. I'll treat you when I come back. Don't forget to eat your lunches, eh? And don’t forget your gloves. It’ll be cold out, I heard. I'll see you soon. Take care. Love you."_

Click.

Work. That damned work again. Tsukishima wondered when will Akiteru actually tell him what his work was for him to have business trips that always lasted for days and weeks. He had asked about it in the past, of course. He needed to know what his brother was doing all this time for work. But Akiteru _was_ a secretive man. He's a good brother and family—the only one left for Tsukishima, really—but when it came to his personal life and work, he's very difficult to deal with. The confrontation just led to a week-long fight for the siblings. It's uncomfortable, fighting with each other, so his brother made him promise to never get nosy again when they finally made up. Reluctantly though, Tsukishima agreed.

But he’s just human. And he’s really curious. But he never voiced out his questions again.

 _“Tsukki,”_ Yachi said from the voicemail. _“I forgot to tell you about it last Friday but Suga-san wants to remind you about the new photographer today. Your article was due last week but without photos it can’t be published. He wants you to talk with the newbie; sort things out about the article yourself, you know. Just chill. He looks like a pro. The newbie, I mean. We already met him last week on your off. So, no worries.  Don’t be late today. See yah!”_

Tsukishima snorted, sipping coffee from his mug. He didn’t understand why can’t Sugawara publish his article already. It was a good one, though. It can obviously stand out without some pretty good photography. Tsukishima’s writing can speak for itself but, “Tsukishima,” Sugawara had chastised him last week, smiling kindly. “I know your article about the festival was superb. Very judgmental as always but it’s the Fuji Rock. _Of course_ we need pictures.”

Well, yeah. Of course. But whatever.

The Crows was a good fifteen-minutes away from their apartment by the train. It’s not much effort and stress, the commute, and he was always grateful for his Beats. Aki gave it to him as a Christmas present last December, replacing his old earbuds.

It’s pretty much a normal morning. A bit cold for Tsukishima’s liking, considering August was ending, signaling the autumn season, but the train to work was not cramped today, and that made everything better. He walked slowly when he got off the train. Their office was just a few blocks away from this station and usually, Tsukishima enjoyed these walks alone. It’s quiet and comforting, and he liked the sun hitting his skin, accompanied with the cool pre-autumn breeze. So he walked purposefully slower, taking his time, soaking more Vitamin D.

He was greeted by Yachi—everyone’s favorite secretary and the Multimedia and Entertainment Head Writer—when he stepped on the lift. She was clutching a couple of Starbucks paper bags and coffee trays in her small hands. Tsukishima moved to help her with them.

“Good morning, Tsukishima-kun—oh thanks—” the girl smiled at him. “Have you received my voicemail this morning?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Good,” Yachi chirped. “He’s actually already up there, the newbie. ”

“Hm. Punctual,” Tsukishima commented, eyeing the coffee in their hands.

“I got your black coffee here, don’t worry; and yeah, he’s fine. He’s also a funny guy. Everyone likes him already.”

“Not another Oikawa I hope,” He muttered, referring a past intern they all worked with.

Yachi hummed. “Mm, I don’t think so? He’s not a diva; doesn’t look like a whiner but—hey! Oikawa’s alright!”

Tsukishima snorted. “Eh. I forgot you’re best friends with him.”

“I’m not _best_ friends with him,” Yachi said. “But I do have his number. And we’re mutuals in Twitter.”

A pause. “I’ll tell Yamaguchi,” He glanced sideways.

“He knows. Duh.”

Tsukishima let out a snort.

“But, uh, the newbie’s kinda like Oikawa? I guess? You know, physically?”

Tsukishima looked at her, not saying anything.

“He’s, sort of, um, tall?” Yachi smiled, waggling her eyebrows. “And cute? I mean, you’re taller. Like, some centimeters or so? But he’s, like, _pretty_.” She paused, pouting. “If I’m not dating anybody, I’d say he’s _crush_ material.”

The elevator dinged. And Tsukishima rolled his eyes. He was shaking his head as he stepped out the box.

He helped Yachi gave their respective coffee to everyone else. White Chocolate Mocha to Yamaguchi and Hinata; Matcha for Kageyama and Asahi; and Java Chip to Tanaka, Nishinoya and Daichi. Yachi got herself and Sugawara some kind of tea, which Tsukishima scrunched his nose at. He’s not a tea-person, okay. Sue him.

He was just sipping his office coffee for that morning as he powered up his desktop when Sugawara, their editor, called him out from his office. Tsukishima was expecting this but he was wondering if he can bypass it. He looked up from his station, overlooking across their bay, at Sugawara’s door. _What?_ He mouthed.

“Kiyoko-san wants you,” Sugawara said in a sing-song voice.

Tsukishima glanced at Shimizu’s office before looking at Sugawara again. The silver-haired guy winked and showed his thumbs-up before heading back in his office, shouting “Thanks for the coffee!” over his shoulder.

“No prob,” He muttered, fixing his glasses on his nose as he stood up.

“Oi, Tsukishima! Did you already meet the newbie?” Hinata asked him as Tsukishima passed by his station.

“Not yet,” he said in a bored voice, eyeing his office mate as he grinned. “I’m not looking forward to it, though.”

Hinata grinned wider. “I already met him the last time you’re off! He’s kinda cool! He’s talking with Shimizu-san,” he jerked his thumb at Shimizu’s office. “Where’re you heading?”

Tsukishima blinked. “Suga said Shimizu-san wants to talk to me?”

“Oh,” Hinata said, stapling some papers from the photocopy machine. “Maybe she wants you two to meet. Also, isn’t your article not out yet? I heard you need a hand these days?”

Tsukishima’s eye ticked. This little ginger-head can be pretty annoying and blunt but well, fuck everyone, really. He ignored him and turned to go in front of Shimizu’s door. Kei knocked before entering. “You called?”

“Tsukishima-kun. Good morning. Have a seat.” their president greeted. She’s a beautiful woman. All curves and grace. Tsukishima didn’t adore many people he’s acquainted with but Shimizu Kiyoko was really likeable. She’s a woman of few words; very kind and considerate as well. And also, she’s the backbone of their company. She was a TV reporter, but when she got married, she decided to settle down and build a small online news and entertainment company instead. It’s not much, obviously. But it’s fun. And The Crows was doing very well these days, too.

Tsukishima’s eyes flitted to the other person inside the room with them. It must be the newbie. He was sitting in front Shimizu, across the desk.

“Tea?” Shimizu offered, sipping from her cup. It was pure politeness. She knew Tsukishima hated tea.

He smiled a bit, shaking his head.

“Anyway,” Shimizu started when they’re all seated. “I want you to meet Kuroo Takami,” she said. “I think you’ve probably heard of him from your colleagues?”

Tsukishima glanced at him, they were actually face to face, both sitting in front of Shimizu’s office desk. This guy’s raven hair was ridiculous; nonetheless, he’s quite normal. Though Yachi was right. He’s a bit like Oikawa. He was even sporting the same hipster glasses. “Yeah. He’s a hit. It was my off when he came, though.”

Kuroo, the guy, glanced at him, smiling politely.

Tsukishima didn’t smile. He looked back at Shimizu. “What exactly did you call me for, Shimizu-san?”

The woman pressed a finger on her own chin, pursing a smile. There was a pause. Then, “You see, Tsukishima-kun,  Kuroo-san and I already chatted for a while and I’ve seen his portfolio; it’s the best among the applicants. He’s also a smooth talker here,” she paused smiling. Kuroo chuckled a bit, obviously flattered, “And.. he’s been a freelancer before, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” Kuroo smiled. “Quite a gypsy wanderer in this field. I like adventures.”

Shimizu nodded, now looking at Tsukishima. She didn’t say a thing.

Tsukishima sighed. “Shimizu-san. Are you sure you want to talk to me about this while in front of the new kid?”

Kuroo’s frown was fast to surface but he was still trying to be polite by holding a little smile. “Excuse me? I’m told I’m older than you?”

“But you’re new here, and I’ve been in The Crows for _years_ so, if anything, you should call me senpai.”

“I—you— _what?_ ” Kuroo gaped. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Of course it didn’t make any sense. Not that Tsukishima cared. He looked at Shimizu again. “Shimizu-san.” His tone changed. Almost pleading but still urgent. “I know what this is all about. I don’t care what Suga-san is telling you but I really don’t need any assistant at all,”

“Tsukishima-kun, I don’t need Sugawara to tell me anything.” Shimizu said, still smiling. “I’ve been keeping tracks with everyone’s works for the past weeks and—”

“I’m _not_ slacking off,” Tsukishima gritted.

“You’re _not_ slacking off,” Shimizu said, voice a bit condescending. She was turning into sensei-mode. “You’re one of the best writers and reporters I have and you know it. You can handle any form of media, given your wide range of expertise. But Tsukishima. You need a partner. You need a photographer. You need a camera man—”

“I don’t even go _live_ ,”

“You need a beta-reader—”

“That’s juvenile. I don’t write fiction; give him to Yachi, she’s the one in the Entertainment sec,”

“You need an audience. You need _company_ to all of your trips in and out of town.”

And Tsukishima just—stopped. Ah, geez. That’s exactly what he disliked. A human, living, talking company.

“And,” Shimizu continued. “I’m so sorry but we all know that in your condition, you’re the one who actually needs company the most.”

Tsukishima inwardly winced. He didn’t manage to retort again. It’s true though. And he’s got no counterattack at that. He knew the new guy can’t understand what they’re talking about. Good. Stay confused. He didn’t need one more person to know about himself.

“I don’t think he can keep up with me.” Tsukishima  finally said, looking at Kuroo. He wasn’t sneering. In fact, his face was as apathetic as ever, but his tone was rude and a bit malicious. “He looks like Oikawa. And you very well know I _hate_ it when we get stalked by teenage girls. Besides, can he even manage to run when we’re being chased by cops?”

“That didn’t even happen before.” Shimizu’s eyes widened, warning him. “You’re scaring the poor guy.”

“It _did_ happen before, and I’m saying this because it looks like I have no choice at all right now but to welcome him, have I?”

Kuroo had his mouth opened a little bit. “I—that’s—not—I mean, that’s not very welcoming at all?” He said, confused.

Tsukishima’s eyes flashed. Kuroo blinked, backing away a little. “Look. I don’t need brats following me around. If you won’t say you can at least be involved in criminal chase and raids and a lot more dangerous stuff, then I don’t think you can keep up with me.” He paused. “We don’t always feature festivals and concerts and shit, newbie. We risk our lives here just to deliver legit news. And I hope you know that.”

Kuroo might’ve said something to him; probably a defense against his words but Tsukishima quickly looked back at Shimizu, who was watching the exchange with an almost amused smile on her face. Her chin propped on her palm. She smiled, resigned. “Tsukishima, dear. You’re really savage. That’s why I hired you. Never change a smidge, eh?”

Tsukishima snorted. “Can I go now? We’ve already met and he already saw how mean I am, which I’m sure the exact thing you intended,”

Shimizu laughed lowly, shrugging mildly.

“And I’m quite busy. Asahi and I are finishing some stuff.”

The woman smiled, nodding. “Okay, okay. I see. You’re free to go. I have a few more words with Kuroo-san here, though. He’ll follow you out after a bit. The free station beside yours will be occupied by him.”

Tsukishima stood up, muttering a “Yeah, figures,” as he made his way out.

 

✖

"He's a mean little cutie, isn't he?" As soon as the door closed, Kuroo's attention was snapped back to the woman in front of him: Shimizu Kiyoko; the President and owner of The Crows, and also Kuroo's supposed-boss while he's working undercover as Reporter Kuroo Takami.

He raised his brows at her choice of words. "I can see now why you said he could be a handful."

Shimizu sipped her tea. She scrunched up her nose, finding it already cold. "He's a work of art, especially that mouth. Could be a little blunt, could be a little sharp. Depends on his moods."

 _"Depends on his moods?"_ Kenma's monotonous voice sounded from Kuroo's ear piece. _"I don't think that guy has many moods. He's just rude."_

Kuroo pursed a smile, and then he looked at his boss directly. "I suppose that's what you like me to see beforehand? Why?"

Shimizu smiled sadly. "Because I don't want Tsukishima to get misunderstood by you, given you're new and you have to work with him right away."

Kuroo cocked his head sideways. Misunderstood?

"You see, Kuroo-kun, even his colleagues here who knew him for a few years now, sometimes don't get what's going on inside Tsukishima's head. Actually, _no one_ knows what's going on inside Tsukishima's head. Even his closest friend, Yamaguchi TadashiㅡI believe you've met him already, he's partnered with Yachi-kun in the Entertainment secㅡhe once admitted he didn't really know Tsukishima that much. And I disliked that. I don't like the fact that Tsukishima's shunning people away. Not only because he's one of the best employees I have, as you heard, and that I take a good liking at him but also because... the kid has actually.. gone through.. a lot."

A lot?

 _"Psh. If the guy wants to be alone; let himself be alone."_ Kenma said. Kuroo chuckled inwardly. Thoughts of another social misfit.

He nodded slowly though, looking back at the door where the blond exited. He could vaguely see his silhouette through the glass walls with the blinds half-closed. "To be honest, ma'am, I don't really get him. In that short conversation we just had, I can say there's something wrong with his behavior. And if you ask me, he's justㅡexcuse me for my cursing butㅡhe's fucking salty and a very rude person but," he paused, shrugging. "I'll do my best to understand and deal with him. I know there are only many reasons that people become jaded, you know? And in my twenty-six years, I learnt not to directly judge people so as to label them, so.. I guess I can try to get along."

 _"Understand and deal with him? Try and get along?"_ Kenma asked. _"Hex, you don't actually have to. Just ignore him entirely."_

If only, Kuroo thought. But right now, it looked like this woman was serious about making him that salty blond's apprentice. So he only has a few options to make the circumstances in his advantage.

“Thank you," Shimizu smiled sadly. "I know I’ve picked a good one this time. But just a heads up; it would be a very, very tough time for the both of you, I guarantee that but please. Don't give up on him, yes? Take good care of Tsukishima. I've chosen you for this job, because..." she laughed uneasily. "To be honest, I don't know. I just based on my instinct and I feel like, you're _supposed_ to have this position and.. there's this kind of.. aura in you? Like you can take care of Tsukishima all throughout."

Kuroo almost snickered. Kenma did. He smiled instead, good-naturedly smug. "And I really thought it was actually my good looks."

Shimizu laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh, it's part of it, I can assure you."

"But ma'am, I just have a question. Who the hell is Oikawa?"

Shimizu blinked. "Oh." She smiled, "He's actually a past intern. Oikawa was a good kid as well, but, he also has the attitude. A bit of a brat, you know? That's why Tsukishima disliked him."

Kuroo raised his brows. "He said I looked like him?"

The woman pursed a smile. "Must be the glasses, I guess. But.. no," She chuckled lowly. "I don't think that's what Tsukishima meant. I think you just got complimented by him."

Kuroo slitted his eyes, smiling confusedly. "Complimented?"

"Oikawa _is_ a very good-looking man." She said. "Very. And whenever Tsukishima and him were paired up in the past, their trips mostly end in disaster because Oikawa has a lot of stalkers around him, which always put them on the disadvantage, because, well, High Schoolers can get scary."

"Does he look like a celebrity or something?" Kuroo breathed a disbelieving laugh.

"Yes," Shimizu nodded, eyes wide. "As I said, he's good-looking."

Kenma snorted. _"Nah,"_ he said. _"He doesn't look like you, Kuroo. Not a little bit."_

A small picture of a young man with warm brown eyes and hair appeared on Kuroo's vision. It floated on the lower left of his periphery, courtesy of his customized glasses exclusively made and designed for the agents working under Empire.

_Oikawa Tooru; July 20, 1993; Height: 184.3 cm (6' 0.6"); Weight: 72.2 kg (159.2 lbs); Origin: Sendai, Miyagi._

_"He's not that attractive, either."_ Kenma said, surprising him. And, okay? Kenma didn't usually make remarks like this. _"Akaashi's much prettier."_

Was this the Oikawa? He _was_ good-looking, yeah. But he didn't actually look like Kuroo himself. He'd agree with Kenma in this one.

 _"Maybe blondie just meant you're good-looking like this brat,"_ Kenma added as Kuroo inwardly brightened up, his ego heightening, _"..which didn't make any sense at all. Your bedhead ruins everything."_

Instantly, his face fell. This guy, Kuroo thought. I bet he's just making fun of me now that I can't actually retortㅡ

 "Kuroo-san? Everything okay?" Shimizu snapped her fingers at him. "You're scrunching up your face? Are you feeling well?"

Oh. Kuroo laughed, waving it off. "It's nothing, ma'am. Nerves, I think."

The woman nodded, smiling a bit. "Well, I'll let you go for now," she said. "You're already stationed beside Tsukishima, alright? Try not to annoy the hell out of the guy, okay?"

Kuroo put a hand on his chest, mocking a painful expression. "You wound me, _mademoiselle_!" He exclaimed. "I'm a gentleman, you know!"

Shimizu smiled. "I'm counting on you,"

 

✖

 

It was boring.

Normal and boring and pretty much mundane.

Not that Kuroo expected so much from working undercover as an online news reporter. He knew this would be this tedious. Even Kenma dozed off for a few minutes in how slow things were going.

He's having an ordinary day out of an ordinary life. It was refreshing if you think about it. Very calm compared to his "normal" work which included real-deal police chase, thugs, criminals and syndicates. He thought back to the conversation this morning with his new dear acquaintance and senpai, Tsukishima Kei.

_“Besides, can he even manage to run when we’re being chased by cops?”_

Kuroo snorted loudly, shaking his head. He wanted to laugh at Tsukishima's face.

"Uh, Kuroo-san! Do you wanna get lunch with us?"

Kuroo looked up from his desktop, surprised to having called his name so easily and so loudly. "Eh?"

"Lunch," a petite blonde girl whose name he remembered as Yachi Hitoka said. "Do you wanna eat lunch with us? We're having sushi!"

Kuroo blinked. "Uh, sure!" He grinned. "Let's have lunch! I love lunch! Wait, is this okay? Are we allowed to leave the office? Is boss gonna get mad?"

A dark-haired freckled guy appeared behind Yachi. This one's named Yamaguchi Tadashi if he's not mistaken. "Of course not," he laughed. "It's already noon. Lunch break."

 _"Dumb-ass,"_ Kenma's voice came back at his ear again. _"Of course they're allowed to eat! They have lunch breaks! Be normal and eat with them now. Try to get along but not much,"_

Yeah, yeah, he answered inwardly. Sorry for not knowing that normal fact, dude. Kuroo didn't have a normal job before. Like, ever. His sleeping and eating routine didn't actually fall on the normal category either.

When they're getting on the lift, Kuroo remembered. "Ah, wait. You're friends with Tsukishima-kun, right?" He started. "Why didn't you ask him to get lunch as well?”

Yachi looked at Yamaguchi, who blinked. "He does eat with us sometimes, but these days he just asks us to get what we're having and we give him take-outs afterwards. He's been busy, with those late articles under him. Somehow it all piled up because, well, he has no assistant or partner."

"He likes working too much," Kuroo commented.

Yachi nodded, "But now you're here, we hope you take care of our Tsukki a lot, okay? He's a meanie, but he's born like that. So don't worry too much."

Kuroo was a bit surprised. So Tsukishima's behavior was actually a common knowledge to everyone?

"But," he curiously continued. "Aren't you guys offended with his attitude? I mean, he's so rude and salty seventy-percent of the time? Hasn't anyone got pissed off by him?"

Yachi laughed. "Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun, that duo just across our bay? They got into a fight with Tsukishima the first time they met. It's all messy. They all ended up with a bloody nose. Luckily, Shimizu-san is a goddess and didn't want to fire anybody that easily so she let it pass."

"Seriously?" Kuroo said. "What happened, then? Are they, like, okay now?"

Yamaguchi grinned. "Oh we're all okay now. We're one messy bunch. But The Crows is a big, happy family. And now you're in, too. So trust us when I say everyone will immediately warm up to you."

Kuroo smirked. "Even dear Tsukki?"

Yachi nodded. "Even dear Tsukki,"

 _Heh,_ he smirked. He'd like to see how that warming up will go, actually. Maybe he'd put a bit more effort in befriending the salty bastard.

But, _"Whatever you're thinking, don't do it,"_ Kenma warned, and hah. Kuroo almost laughed.

 

✖

 

Kuroo immediately realized that Yachi and Yamaguchi were actually dating. Their interconnected pinkies gave it away. Which made Kuroo the third wheel all throughout their lunch. And maybe that's one of the reasons their dear Tsukki didn't always eat lunches with them. Because he didn't want to be the third wheel.

 _"You're ridiculous,"_ Kenma said when Kuroo voiced this out to him as he made his way to the rooftop of their building after lunch, bringing a paper bag of sushi and canned Cokes in hand. _"Not everyone minds to be the third wheel, you know. I think he just really wants to be isolated at times,"_

"Mm, I don't think so," Kuroo disagreed, looking around him to make sure no one can see him talking to himself alone. Talking to himself would look suspicious and a whole lot of weird. "He's not actually a lone wolf, you know? He's, like, good with people if he likes to be. He just has a tendency to be rude at most of them."

_"Pfft, you act like you know him already. You just met the guy in, less than five hours,"_

"Yeah," Kuroo grinned, "I’ve tried talking to him earlier; he’s not that chatty. But hey, did you know he’s a bit obsessed with dinosaurs? His desktop screen saver and wallpaper and even his staplers and punchers are all dinosaur-themed! He’s a fucking dork.”

_“You sound like a dork yourself.”_

“Mm, well. We have our first common denominator! I think we’re getting close already."

 _"Close enough to make you bring him lunch?"_ Kenma said, skeptical. He's referring the fact that Kuroo was actually on his way to bring Tsukishima his lunch on the rooftop.

"Hey, Yachi-san asked me. Suga-san is asking her to type some shit and she asked me if I can bring the takeout to Tsukki. Said I'll find him at the rooftop." he defended. "And I can't say no to a cute blonde girl just like that.”

 _"Kuroo, you like_ blonds _. But you don't like_ girls _."_

Kuroo laughed out loud. "I fucking love it that you know me so much."

No response.

Kuroo pursed a smile as he took the last stair landing on the way to the rooftop. "Hey, Kitten, are you jealous?"

A scoff. _"Why would I be?"_

Kuroo shook his head slowly, grinning. "Exactly."

 

✖

 

"Yo, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima whipped his head around towards the sound of his own name. But waitㅡ _Tsukki?_ And that voice, thoughㅡ?

"What are you doing here?" He said to Kuroo, who was walking towards him in a slow pace, bringing his lunch in hand.

"Yachi told me to bring you these," he said, shaking the paper bag. "You don't have lunch yet, yeah?" He grabbed one canned Coke from the bag and opened it with a hiss as Tsukishima got his lunch from him.

"She should've just texted me. I could go back down if she can’t give it to me." He grumbled.

"Well, it’s here now. And you're welcome," Kuroo said, shrugging and sipping from his Coke.

Tsukishima turned around and went over to a nearby bench and table where he usually ate his late lunches. It's peaceful, that's why he liked it here, but now the ambience was disturbed, since another presence was there. And seriously, it's kind of pissing him off.

Kuroo was silent while Tsukishima ate. The blond just pretended he was alone since he figured he's not going to go away. When he's done, Kuroo spoke. The guy was now sitting across him; on the concrete ledge of the roof. "Why do you like eating here alone?"

Tsukishima bit his inside cheek, eyeing the concrete ledge. _That’s dangerous._ "So that I could avoid people like you."

Kuroo smirked, the bastard. Why did he always have that face? He wore that as well when he's talking to him earlier, asking what the fuck’s so great with pterodactyls. Nishinoya overheard Kuroo asking that and he had laughed lowly but thankfully, Nishinoya didn’t say a thing. Kuroo was a child. Even Oikawa didn't try to pester him like that.

"Rude," Kuroo said. "But seriously," he looked around. "I like it here. Nice hideout when you wanna get emo and shit,"

"I'm _not_ emoㅡ"

"I didn't say you are!" Kuroo laughed almost defensively, moving to stand up at the ledge. _That’s really dangerous. This guy’s insane—_ "I just meant this is a cool place you have for hanging out,"

Tsukishima didn’t know what his face looked like but when Kuroo turned and looked down from the ledge, he seemed surprise at his own action and he shifted to jump back down the safe side of the roof top. He landed on his feet like a cat.

Tsukishima didn't say anything but he quickly composed his face. _What the hell was that?_ He just stood up, overlooking the view downtown. The height was daunting in this angle. This guy’s either insane or a braggart for doing stuff like that. But he kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to spark a conversation with Kuroo. So for a moment, there was silence. Thenㅡ

"You know what, Iㅡ"

"What's that in your ear?" Tsukishima said abruptly. What? Why did he ask that?

Kuroo didn't answer immediately. "I'm sorry?"

Tsukishima looked at him directly, eyes slitted behind his glasses. "That thing. In your ear. What's that?"

Kuroo slapped a hand on his left ear. He blinked, looking dumbfounded, and then he laughed. A bit louder than usual. "Oh! Haha!" He scratched the back of his neck, bashful. "It's, um, like, a hearing aid, you know."

Hearing aid?

"I have some minor problems in hearing. It's not that I can't entirely hear, but, like, I can hear normally with this thing with me all the time." He smiled sheepishly.

Tsukishima stared, not batting an eyelash. Oh. That explained it. Now he felt like an asshole for asking. "I'm sorry."

Kuroo shook his head. "It's cool," he shrugged, seemingly okay, but the tips of his ears were red.

Tsukishima didn't say anything anymore. And after a moment, he realized he didn’t have anything to say at all. “I’m going back down,” He said, looking at Kuroo and the guy was… smirking? That crooked smile again. He was smiling as he stared in front of him. There’s nothing even remotely funny.

Kuroo looked distracted and Tsukishima was close to thinking there’s actually something wrong with his head. “I’m going back down now,” he said again. “Thanks for bringing me lunch,” And before Kuroo can answer, he turned on his heel already and found himself climbing down the rooftop, leaving the weird guy behind.

 


	3. memory

_**Okayama, Chūgoku** _  
_**November 2012 (6 years ago)** _

**"TETSUROU, DARLING, THIS IS**  Tottori Chiyo," Kuroo's mother said, smiling widely. She ushered a very pretty girl wearing a striking lilac dress in front of him. The girl seemed shy but she was pretty and elegant. "She's the girl I'm talking about last night," His mother said pointedly. "Her parents are my friends back in Tohoku,"

Kuroo nodded, "Oh, so they're in your circle in Tohoku?"

His mother smiled fondly, remembering the memories, "At my few semesters there, I met Akinari and Seina, her parents." she explained. "But never mind that! That's another story some other time. For now," she turned to the young girl, "Chiyo-kun, this is my son, Tetsurou—"

"Just Tetsu," Kuroo smiled, prompting his name, smiling tightly. "Just Tetsu's fine." He's okay with 'Tetsurou', his given name but still, he preferred a shorter one. Besides, he thought it was a bit of a mouthful.

Ryoko had raised her eyebrows amusingly but, "Oh, okay, whatever," Ryoko said, rolling her eyes, chuckling at her son's antics. The boy was always used to everyone calling him in first name basis, anyway. It didn't really matter that much to him.

Chiyo just smiled though, polite as ever, "Okay," she said, nodding, tucking a stray brown curl behind her ear. "Tetsu-kun. I'm Tottori Chiyo," She thrusted her hand forward for a hand shake—the party wasn't very traditional anyway—but the young lad had different ideas. Kuroo clasped Chiyo's hand and slowly, he bent down and kissed her knuckles with his lips.

The girl raised her brows, blushing and seemingly surprised.

His mother laughed silently, shaking her head. "Well then, I better go back there," Ryoko excused. "I hope you kids will know each other well. I'd love to give more elaborate introductions but I think you two can manage." She looked at her son meaningfully. Kuroo smiled, knowing what his mother was doing, and he nodded. "Tetsurou, take care of Chiyo-kun, will you?"

"Of course," he said.

"Alright," She turned to Chiyo and kissed her cheeks. "I'll see you later, darling. Enjoy the night," and she walked away, bunching her silver gown with her hands.

Chiyo looked at him, up and down. She eyed him from his squeaky dress shoes to his crisp-black tuxedo up to his artfully-swept bed head. He noticed she was holding a long stemmed wine glass in her other hand. The contents seemed to be just some orangey-bubbly-spritz.

"So.." she started, "I hope you are enjoying the night. This is your fancy party, after all,"

Tetsurou shrugged. He looked around him, at the high ceiling with sparkling chandeliers and the twinkling lights floating everywhere. It  _was_  fancy, the whole mansion, but with the fact that tonight was his 21st birthday celebration, everything became extra flourished. "Yes, I'm quite enjoying the night," he answered, his voice rumbling with thick resignation. "It's a bit grand, yeah," he sighed, gesturing around, "So I ought to enjoy it a little bit," he shrugged.

His parents made sure tonight was  _his_. Even if he can't remember how many times he had told his mum that they didn't need to throw a party this huge for his birthday, they didn't listen. It's not his coming-of-age-ceremony anymore, but no matter what he said, Ryoko would shake her head, explaining that 21 is the true realm of legal adulthood and youth. Really, Kuroo thought. He knew it was a long shot in requesting for a much simpler party, explaining that they could've settled with a small celebration with just the family and some of his High School and University buddies. They were not so very compliant. Stubbornness runs in the blood, after all. Besides, his father had made it a point in the beginning: this was going to be their platform to introduce Kuroo Tetsurou, the one and only heir of  _Kuroo Zaibatsu._

"A little bit?" Chiyo continued now, swirling the contents of her wine glass with her hand, "You should be enjoying it to the extreme. Your parents are very proud of you."

He just chuckled. She didn't know. She didn't know how heavy this party was for him. Not only was this party for the celebration of his adulthood but as aforementioned, it was also for the grand and automatic announcement of his heritage for their company. This night would seal it all. It was a weight on his shoulders, yes. But seriously, he had no choice. Tamiko, his elder sister is a girl, after all. And in  _keiretsu_  tradition, the name and power should be passed down the first male.

"How about you, Chiyo-kun?" he inquired the girl beside her. "Are you enjoying my party?"

Chiyo smiled knowingly, looking around. Then her stance changed. "Well… there are a whole lotta cute boys and girls mingling around. Do you happen to know all of them?"

Kuroo blinked. "Er.. Not all of them, no,"

"Eh, must be dreadful. Not knowing half the faces greeting you a happy birthday."

Kuroo shrugged, smiling lightly.

Then Chiyo looked at him. "But you're okay with this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's be honest about it, Tetsu-chan." A sip from her cocktail. "Even if you didn't ask for this. You're fine with this whole shit, yeah?" she said, eyeing him in an accusatory manner.

"Well. I'll be such an asshole if I refuse the title. And also, it's not completely bad. Our company helps millions of people. And I think that's a good thing."

"Wow," Chiyo breathed. "You're very simple-minded, aren't you? Are you sure you're twenty-one?"

"What do you mean?" Kuroo laughed lowly, "Don't I sound mature enough?"

Chiyo seemed to ponder about this, looking at him straight in the eyes. "Nah." She continued. "I mean, you're fine. You're good. But you're naïve."

Kuroo blinked. "I'm sorry?"

Chiyo smiled coyly. Kuroo can't tell if she's serious or teasing.

The girl looked around, and then she chuckled airily. "I mean, aren't you very worried right now, bearing the name of the company and all? Having to be married off to someone in the likes of me..?"

Surprised, Kuroo was silent for a mere moment. Oh. Is that where she's heading? Then, "Do you have someone.. at the moment?"

Chiyo smiled sadly. "Don't you?"

Kuroo straightened up, not sure how to answer.

Slowly, a grin surfaced on Chiyo's face. "Oh, you're not much of a good guy, Mr. Tetsurou Kuroo, aren't you?" Her eyes glittered as she sipped her drink. "Are all the stories true?"

He smirked, "Depends on whom you got the story from,"

The girl shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Well, yeah. I figured. But it's okay," she said. "You're not too bad for me, I guess."

Kuroo put his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight.

Chiyo laughed. "Oh, god." she said, shaking her head. "Look at that lean. You really  _are_  cheeky, like what they said, huh."

He raised an eyebrow, mildly curious. "Okay so, you really did stalk me, Chiyo-kun? What stories did you hear, huh?" A waitress passed by, holding a tray full of cocktails. She was wearing a white blouse and a skirt. Her eyelashes were long and jaw line so defined. For a moment, the server looked at Kuroo, and that's enough for him to notice her onyx-colored eyes. The server winked and smirked as Kuroo got one drink from the tray.

Chiyo huffed but she was smiling. "Not much." she shrugged. "You're already popular in University. And you already had a fair share of relationships, so you have a reputation yourself."

"I might correct you at that one," he sipped his drink. Zero-to-no-alcohol content, he noticed. "I've never had a girlfriend." he stated bluntly. "Ever."

The girl smiled. "Yes. But you did have a boyfriend."

Kuroo almost sputtered the cocktail in his mouth. And, wow. A toast to his not-so-private life, yeah? He managed to gulp down his drink. Then he grinned, shaking his head. It was true, though. He had a fair share of girls—and boys—before. But they were all a blur. Casual dates, casual snogs. Nobody was remarkable, or anything significant. And—

"Nah," Kuroo shook his head slowly. "I mean, yeah. I've, like, kissed a bunch of them lately. There were a few cute blonde guys in my year but they were nothing serious. Trust me."

"You  _are_  quite the playboy, huh."

A shrug. "Well, I'm just telling the truth. And they all seem to know what they are getting when, you know, when it comes to me."

"Playboy indeed."

"My bisexual ass ain't sorry."

Chiyo laughed again, throwing her head back.

"Does it bother you?"

Chiyo paused, looking at him. "What, that my momma's pairing me to a, like, sorta gay man?" She's wearing an amused smile.

Kuroo flicked his head on the side, mildly shrugging.

Then the girl pursed a grin, shaking her head. "My girlfriend's gonna get pissed."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "Oh." Kuroo said. Then he threw his head back, laughing so loudly that some businessmen nearby jumped.

Suddenly, Kuroo recognized the song being played by the small orchestra in the noticeable corner of the room. It was accompanied by the soft crooning of a woman. Distracted yet still chuckling, Kuroo put his drink down a nearby tall table and held his hand to Chiyo. "You know what. Let's just dance, yeah? I know this [song](https://youtu.be/9OTarHcbsE8)," he said, "Shall we?"

Chiyo laughed shortly, but after a last sip, she also put her drink down and accepted his hand.

He pulled her closer, holding her by the waist and her hand, while she had her other hand on his shoulder. They waltzed across the grand floor, at the midst of the people dancing.

" _Curly Giraffe_ , huh?" Chiyo chuckled quietly. "You didn't strike me as someone who likes ballads,"

"Hey, they're Alt Rock, excuse you?"

"I know, I'm just teasing. But this particular song is really dreamy, I guess?" Chiyo's eyebrows rose. She was smiling lightly. "And, oh, so you like stuff from  _Bump of Chicken_? Or  _The Brilliant Green_?"

Kuroo's eyes sparkled. "Fuck yeah!" he twirled her around. "They're all sick, yeah?"

"You mean that in a good way, I assume?" Chiyo shook her head slowly, laughing.

"Of course! They're amazing."

Kuroo has taken a liking Chiyo. Not in an infatuated way, no, but he could see that Chiyo could become one of his closest friends. They had a lot in common. Also, she's a pretty girl. That's always a bonus. Even if she also likes girls. His mother would be disappointed. And oh yeah, they have some common denominators in what music to listen to. So that's another plus.

His eyes wandered around their mansion. He could see his parents mingling with the other elites. Some guests with known and unknown faces. Kuroo didn't know them all, and he's aware that some of them also didn't know him. His eyes caught his sister, Tamiko's gaze across the dance floor. She's waltzing also with a man Kuroo didn't know then suddenly, she stuck her tongue out in a childish gesture, making him roll his eyes. Kuroo Tetsurou loved his family. No matter how imperfect, and annoying, and complicated, and elite they were at times, he loved them. He really does.

"Tetsurou," Chiyo said suddenly. Her voice was different and urgent. When he looked at her, she was looking around, frowning. "Did you—"

The lights around the room flickered. For about three seconds, it faltered again and totally blacked out. The music stopped, and Kuroo cannot see anything, only shadows and silhouettes. He gripped Chiyo's hands tighter and closer to himself, an adrenaline to protect the girl kicking in. He could feel the girl's cold palm seeping through her fancy gloves.

"Hey, it's okay." He whispered to her. "I think we're just having some technical—"

Then a loud crash came, signaling the breakage of all the windows around them. The screaming and shouting began, as well as the gunshots.

"Duck!" someone shouted and without warning, Kuroo was tackled on the floor, losing Chiyo's grip. He cannot move.

"Tetsu—" he heard Chiyo's strangled cry and the gunshots were ear-deafening everywhere—

"Chiyo!" Kuroo panicked. And he found her on the floor after a blind search, crumpled and bloody.

"Oh, God," His lower lip wobbled at the sight. She was shot on the head. "Oh, God—"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, DUCK!" an urgent voice shouted at him and his face was on the floor again, a weight pressing him down as the gunshots were heard. More cries and screams and glasses breaking were echoing through the night.

_"OKAASAN!"_  Kuroo shouted, thrashing wildly. His eyes were wet.  _"OTOSAN! TAMIKO!"_

"Fuck!" the weight pressed harder. "We will die here if you don't stay still—!"

"MOM!" He didn't care if he died. He wanted to see his family. Kuroo desperately hoped that they were unharmed. " _NEESAN_!" He tried to elbow the man on top of him but he was strong.

For an eternity, he was wildly thrashing and shouting for his family. When the gunshots died down, the man on top of him went a bit slacked, causing him to loosen the grip and get up to find Ryoko and the rest—

Kuroo's knees buckled. He looked around at the wreckage of dead bodies and blood on the floor, frantically chanting for his mom's name, and his sister's, and his dad's…

He crawled, ignoring some unfamiliar dead stares. When he reached the spot where Tamiko was, he looked around—

And let out a strangled sob. "Oh, God." he said.

His sister's eyes were open. A bullet on her neck and her whole torso was bloody.

It was only a moment when a gun was fired again, but a weight tackled Kuroo on the ground. No pain came. He wasn't harmed.

" _NEESAN_!" Kuroo wailed, wanting to die. " _OKAASAN_!"

The man on top of him grunted, he felt him move and another gunshot and— It stopped. The gunshots halted. He felt dizzy. His tears won't stop. His face was turned sideways on the floor, his cheek was pressing on the cold tile and he didn't care. Kuroo Tetsurou didn't care. He would never get up from this floor again, because across the room, he could easily see, were the bodies of his mother and father, crumpled and unmoving.

They're dead, he realized with an immovable anger towards the world and everyone alive, including himself. They  _were_  dead. And fuck it. Oh, God. Fuck everything.

Kuroo didn't know what happened after seeing his murdered family. All he knew was his eyes were all red-rimmed and his throat hurt  _so_  badly as he stared ahead, seeing nothing. He was being ushered inside a black vehicle and everywhere, everywhere was red and black and white and there were lots of wailing and sirens and noise and, fuck. Maybe he was dead. Maybe this was Hell.

"Kid," someone put a hand on his shoulder. "Can you hear me?"

Blindly, he looked up at the one talking to him.

It was a woman. A woman wearing spectacles and her hair is in a ponytail. She held up an ID. Kuroo didn't know about anything. He can't read. He didn't care.

"I'm Agent D from FBI. You are Kuroo Tetsurou, are you not?" the woman started.

Kuroo stared, not saying a word.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?" she said.

Still, no response from him.  _My throat hurts_ , he wanted to say.

"He is," someone answered for him. "All other relatives are dead on the spot,"

Kuroo looked at the one who spoke beside him. He didn't know if he would've been shocked at the sight before his eyes.

"You're the waitress," Kuroo stated bluntly. But she's not the waitress. She was a  _he_. He's still wearing the uniform and all. He was slumped on the seat of the car, across Kuroo, and has a bandage on his arm. It was stained in blood.

The man didn't say a thing back, looking tired. But after a while, he sighed. The he spoke in a low melodic voice. "I was told to watch you. Luckily I was near when the shots were fired. I almost thought you're dead but the one who was shot was the girl." He flicked his eyes to the woman, D. "Dead. Bullet on head. He saw it all. The sister was shot on the neck. The parents were—"

But Kuroo would never know what exactly happened to his parents, for he lunged straight at the guy in the waitress clothes, thinking _, I'll kill you I'll kill you I'll kill you_.

D was quick to move and he stopped Kuroo. "Boys!" she shouted around, "Sedate him please, he wasn't alright with the head! Good gracious, Onyx! You didn't tell me he saw their bodies!"

"But I just  _did_  tell you!" the man called Onyx said fiercely, yet he remained calm.

Abruptly, arms were around Kuroo, and he was being pulled away. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" He kept shouting.

The man in skirt raised his hands, his eyes sad and defeated, "Sorry, D,"

D sighed. "Go get the Medics Team and tell them to sedate the boy."

The man was watching Kuroo being pulled away. Kuroo, however, was raging. He was still shouting and thrashing.

D snapped her fingers. "Akaashi," she said. "If you want to help the boy, get the Medics Team now,"

The guy named Akaashi blinked, and scampered away for the Medics Team.

It was a moment later when Kuroo felt something on his neck. Then suddenly, he felt numb. Dizzy. Weak.

_Let me die,_  he thought.  _Let me go with them._

He would never know, however, that as the medicine was being pumped on his veins, and his eyelids were drooping, the guy wearing the waitress' clothes and the woman called D were watching him.

"You two are almost the same age, you know." D murmured.

Akaashi fixed the stained bandage on his arm, not saying a thing.

D clasped his good shoulder, "Not bad for your second op, Agent Onyx. Good job."

Akaashi looked at the guy he was told to save—Kuroo. And he thought, how far until he breaks? How long will the guy last?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yEAHH im back ;~) comments are still highly appreciated♡ and oh, if you can actually listen to the song i linked, please! do! so!! like, idk if its ur jam but slow-rock is so dreaaamy indeed(◍ ˃̵͈̑ᴗ˂̵͈̑)


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